[Sidenote:
_Wool and Silk._
No. 39:
H. 7 _ft._ 9 _in._
W. 13 _ft._ 6 _in._
No. 40:
H. 7 _ft._ 9 _in._
W. 11 _ft._
]
TWO SCENES FROM THE HISTORY OF CLEOPATRA: _In the first_ (_No._ 39)
_Cleopatra attended by two maidens greets a young prince who is being
introduced to her by a general_. _In the harbor the young stranger's ship
is seen._
_In the second_ (_No._ 40) _Cleopatra welcomes a young man_. _An attendant
holds a heavy canopy of silk. Beyond, a Greek temple is seen._
_Side borders, only, of classic decorations on a red ground with inset
medallions showing the Judgment of Paris._
[Sidenote: Formerly in the Collection of Lord Lovelace.]
The pieces both signed in the lower right corner--Lefébvre, with the
fleur-de-lis and G. They do not, however, appear on the records of the
Gobelins, so they must have been done by Lefébvre outside of the official
work.
[Sidenote: Lent by _William Baumgarten & Company_.]
They are strong and fresh examples of the early work of the Gobelins
weavers, and typical of the classicism of the late Renaissance in France.
The requirements of mural decoration are met by the monumental character
and sculptural poise of the figures, but at the same time the design is
adapted to a decorative textile through the perfection of the detail and
the richness of the colors.
[Sidenote: 41]